Blank Apply: Destroying Without Terraform Configuration
summary
When Terraform state exists but configuration is lost, creating an empty config and running terraform apply removes all resources referenced in that state — a technique called blank apply. The team builds a small bash tool named Tarkin that points at S3 state, fakes providers and supplies dummy modules so module-scoped resources also destroy. Watch for provider quirks, approval prompts, and leftover state/lock files; this saved releases when IAM roles hit 1,000 then 3,000 (quota max 5,000).
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chapters (8)
- 0:00Introduction and AWS limits
- 2:40Jellyvision's infrastructure
- 5:59Automated cleanup struggles
- 9:01Speculative merge challenges
- 12:38The need for a better solution
- 15:20The blank apply technique
- 18:34Implementing Tarkin
- 20:41Q&A and conclusion
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